An interesting article was published this morning on Washington, D.C., CBS affiliate WTOP's website that said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood honks at other drivers he sees texting or talking on their cell phone behind the wheel.

Other than conjuring up mental images of a federal official conducting "informal road patrols" and blaring his horn at violators of D.C.'s texting-while-driving ban, the article made me think: What is a motorist to do when he or she notices a fellow driver typing away, one hand on the wheel and zero eyes on the road?

Michigan's ban on texting while driving went into effect July 1, 2010, and figures from the Michigan State Police Office of Highway Planning show nearly 1,200 drivers have since been ticketed for texting behind the wheel.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood

Before reading WTOP's story about LaHood this morning, I had not put much thought into what individual drivers should do, if anything, to dissuade fellow motorists from using their cell phone for whatever purpose, be it texting or tweeting.

Going LaHood's route and honking seems effective to a point, although that might startle an already-distracted driver and cause an ever larger problem.